Perhaps you’d like to write your dream book or course. Or maybe you finally want to start a blog because you’re passionate about helping people.

Deep in your heart, what would you like to write? What piques your curiosity? What makes your heart dance?

Two years ago, I committed to my biggest ever writing project.

At the time, I briefly wondered whether I was crazy. Why would I commit to an ambitious project when I struggle with low energy? Didn’t I have my hands full with teaching my writing courses? Wouldn’t it be smarter to take an easier route?

The project was uncertain. I hadn’t seen anything like it before. Could I pull it off???

Fast forward to today, and thanks to a little magic, I’m nearly at the finishing line.

Want to know how to accomplish your biggest writing challenge, too?

1. Connect with your heart

The only way to jump into my project was to ignore the rational arguments against it and to listen to my heart.

I am passionate about helping people write. Yet, in my blogging courses, I discovered that teaching people writing techniques isn’t enough to help them commit to a regular blogging habit.

Many people have good ideas to share but something is holding them back—whether that’s lack of energy, self-doubt, perfectionism, an overwhelming to-do list, procrastination, or a rickety writing process.

I knew I wanted to help more people nurture a writing habit so they could express and share their ideas. Writing has made such a big difference to me. Through writing, I’ve connected with wonderful people across the world. I’ve made new friends. I’ve learned to think better and to express my ideas more clearly. And by writing about my inner critic, I even learned to be more at peace with myself.

Rationally, embarking on my big project may have seemed crazy.

However, emotionally, I knew this was the project I wanted to do most desperately. I knew it could help many people get unstuck. Plus, I felt more excited about it than any other project. I was curious.

So, I decided to follow my heart.

2. Embrace your naivety

Overthinking kills many writing projects.

The more we dream, the grander, more beautiful, and more encompassing a project becomes. And as an idea grows in our minds, our resistance to getting started and implement our idea seems to grow even faster. The project becomes terrifying.

Of course, there’s a benefit to letting projects simmer for a while—to see whether your excitement lasts.

Don’t think for too long. If your idea feels good after a short period of percolation, jump in. Take the first step to bring your dream into reality. And discover where your inspiration leads to.

3. Focus on doing the work (and ignore everyone’s advice)

An online marketing veteran once told me how easy it is to write a Kindle book …

10,000 words is enough for a Kindle book, and you can write that in a weekend.

Excuse me?!?

My first book is just over 10,000 words. I can’t remember exactly how long it took me to write it, but I think it was somewhere between 6 and 12 months.

Some people write incredibly fast. They might even write a whole novel in one month.

But we all run our own race.

And each writer, each project is different.

If you thrive on big challenges and hairy goals, go ahead. Be audacious, and sprint to the finish line. If that doesn’t work for you, focus on doing the work, tiny step by tiny step.

It took me two years to create my upcoming course on writing habits and joyful productivity. I created most of the course by writing for 50 minutes a day—in two chunks of 25 minutes. By simply doing a little work on most days, I got an amazing amount of work done. I even surprised myself.

Don’t underestimate the power of tiny steps and steady progress.

4. Expect strong headwinds

Last September, I cycled along the Canal du Midi in France. The route is completely flat, so the easy pedaling appealed to me.

But one day, the weather forecast was mean: Gusts of up to 40 miles per hour.

And the worst thing?

Our first 10 miles would be straight into the wind.

Oh my.

As I climbed on my bike, I was worried. Could I cope with the wind? Would I make it to our next stop?

Somehow, I decided to stop battling myself, to stop worrying and to take it one yard at a time, or rather: one pedal push at a time. I decided to enjoy the ride, no matter how rough it would be.

I’m not sure whether the forecast was a little exaggerated.

But I made it.

And I still remember how good it felt to let go of my worries.

The same mindset applies to working on big hairy projects, too. Each project has its ups and downs—sometimes you experience a tailwind and you write almost effortlessly, as if everything falls into place.

But then you turn a corner, perhaps you start revising or you begin a new chapter and, at once, strong gusts are blowing into your face and you feel like you’re blown off track. Oh my. You hadn’t thought of this. What a nightmare! This is never going to work!

The trick is to let go of your worries. Don’t battle yourself, instead focus on getting unstuck. What’s going on? Why does it seem hard? How can you make a little more progress?

Don’t feel disheartened when a project gets tough. Every project has its ups and downs. Embrace the hard work and keep going, tiny step by tiny step.

5. Find a magic wand

I didn’t write this project all on my own. Kathy Keats helped me structure my project, gave feedback and generously shared her experience and knowledge.

Kathy and I have different backgrounds. She’s a high-performance coach and I’m a writing coach. Working together allowed us to pool our knowledge. Plus, every time I got stuck, she helped me get unstuck.

When you collaborate with a person you trust, navigating headwinds becomes a lot easier. It’s like Kathy had a magic wand to let the wind die down 🙂

Start your dream project this week

Life is too short to let ideas sing around forever. Life is too short to leave your dreams unrealized.

Reader Interactions

Comments

What a wonderful way to motivate… it’s sooo true about battling yourself, the rational head suppressing what the heart is trying to tell us. You’ve given me courage to start my own thousand miles journey… thank you

I can so relate to your process, Henneke! I too have (severe) issues with low energy and chronic pain, yet even on days where I only have 10 minutes worth of energy, I write. And each 10 minutes takes me closer to finishing my writing projects. It requires patience and resilience, and that’s why it’s so important to have your heart in it (and people to support you). Oh, and we may even have passed each other on Canal du Midi last year. We used to live around there for 5 months during the year 🙂 Thanks for the inspiring post! Great reminders. Now back to writing. I have a new course I’m working on 😉

In my corporate career, I’d have found the idea of connecting with my heart rather alien. But since I work for myself, I’ve learned it’s so important. My inner motivation and curiosity sustain me on long term projects.

Good luck with writing your course, Madelleine. And thank you for stopping by!

There are days and weeks when I wonder if I’m cut out for this. But I’m constantly inspired by hearing from people whose health and energy challenges are worse than mine, and who still do it. Good for you!

I too am a fan of tiny work sessions when I don’t feel I can do very much. They do add up and add momentum.

Just to avoid misunderstandings, the course I’m launching next week isn’t so much about learning how to write—it’s not about teaching writing techniques, but more about nurturing the mindset and habits to write regularly and also how to streamline your writing process.

Hi Henneke, Perfect timing, as always. I’m stuck with every one of the issues you’ve mentioned, and maybe a few more. Would love to get back on my metaphorical bike, fitting regular blog posts into my schedule. Thanks and HELP!! ??

Mine is to finally start working on a book of folklore and ghost stories! I blog about it every week but I’m always scared to commit to a book since there are people better qualified than me to publish about it…

I don’t know how you define “better qualified” but what about your storytelling skills, your voice? If you’ve been blogging about folklore and ghost stories week in week out, then you seem perfectly qualified to write a book, too. Go for it!

O boy, can I relate to this post! I’ve been working on my author marketing course for over two years, and beating myself up because it isn’t done yet! A great reminder to go slow and steady as in Aesop’s fable about the tortoise and the hare. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks for your words of wisdom!

Hi Henneke – After reading the previous blog posts I don’t feel so alone. We writers all suffer the inner enemy of self-doubt. My “magic wand” is a good friend and experienced writer/researcher who helps me stay focused on context when I seize up. Thanks again for your insight.

Thank you again Henneke, for your helpful insights about working through your own struggles. So brave and so helpful. This post reminded me again that limited energy, limited time, and chronic health issues do not make our writing and business goals impossible. I needed that reminder.

As for big writing goals, I’m starting small and moving forward in tiny steps like you recommend. I think for people like us, who have high motivation to get tired or overwhelmed easily this is really the way to go, because one small step is doable and it leads to another, until you’ve accomplished more than you realize you could.

My goal this week is to write my second article for a local magazine. This one is a challenge for me because I’m on a tight deadline, and it includes covering an in-person event.

I’m also trying to keep to an every other week schedule with my blog, which I started this January. I’m currently testing out different subjects, to see what people want to read.

My next big goal is to get my first business client, and I would really like to write my first case study.

#1 is the secret to my success and my way cool life, circling the globe, Henneke. Everybody is so caught up in mind and its goals, like money and blog traffic and clients, and they ignore their heart. When the heart will help you live your dreams, in spectacular fashion. You will complete your projects when you work your projects from the heart. Excellent post buddy.

So, what’s the remedy if there are so many ideas/concepts swimming around in your head that it actually keeps you awake at night? I keep a daily journal which lists detailed events of each day, write an opinion column for a small town newspaper, am currently working at the publication of my first manuscript while scripting two others and often wake at 4:00a to write philosophical quotes (sometimes pages) that seem to come from nowhere but prevent me from resting.

At the end of each day, we have unfinished work, and unfinished work has a habit of swirling around in our head. A shutdown ritual can help unwind. I review my day, plan tomorrow and then switch off my computer to relax—I usually read fiction.

In his book “Deep Work,” Cal Newport describes ending his shutdown ritual with saying the words “shutdown complete” as a cue to let go if work-related thoughts.

Hi B.G….I suffered from Racing Thought-Idea Syndrome too. Meditating and deep yin yoga helped me expand my awareness, so I could see ideas-thoughts as being little energy waves incapable of keeping me awake. No big deal. Just little things that come and go. If the thoughts keep you awake, you are adding heavy weight-feeling to them, and that weight has to go to allow you to sleep and to become REALLY prolific. I’ve written millions and millions of words since getting rid of Racing Thoughts-Ideas Syndrome. Plus I sleep better, too 🙂 All the best.

Thank you Henneke. As always.. you have a way with words. Beautifully written and so motivating. … Yes! Overthinking… my biggest enemy. Thanks for the encouragement and all the best on your project. See you there.

I also want to be able to achieve my dream writing project. It takes a lot of focus, commitment, and concentration to get it done. The tip to do things one step at a time is awesome, thank you. It does not seem as scary when one looks at the next single step rather than look at the entire remaining journey needed to finish the project.

Right on time, Henneke. I generally skip straight to the anxiety and fumble through that stage, when I should really connect with my heart first. Looking forward to seeing what happens when I spend some time on step 1. Thanks!

I loved your little anecdote about cycling. Interestingly, I cycled from Cape Town to Cairo four years ago and had a very similar experience….on several occasions!

When you say that overthinking can kill, can I ask if you end up with many pieces of writing or content that you don’t want to publish? More specifically, is there somewhere useful to “send” this kind of content?

Wow, from Cape Town to Cairo — that sounds like a fascinating cycling adventure!

I rarely end up with content I don’t publish. I force myself to finish a piece to my satisfaction and do whatever it takes to turn any draft, no matter how bad it feels, into good content.

I have tried in the past to write a couple of drafts so I’d have something to fall back on, but it didn’t work because as soon as I have started the next piece, I’ve lost interest into another draft. So, I don’t allow myself to start a new blog post if I haven’t finished the previous one yet. I’m not suggesting this is how everyone must work—you have to find out what works for you.

I’ve just settled into an apt. in Mexico for the next five months. I’ve brought all my research and photos for at least five articles(1,500-2K words) and tomorrow I’m going to start getting the first olive out of the jar. After that, the rest usually come out easily. Just getting started is always my biggest hurdle. It’s like psyching myself up to jump into cold water. Once I’m in, it doesn’t feel so cold, but, dammit, it takes everything I’ve got to make the leap!

Hello Henneke, When I was the newbie in the blogging world, I hade no idea about niche then I was very upset, that was my past, I have learned many things from a different blog like your blog. thanks for this.

Henneke, thank you for this. I am getting started on a biography, about myself and the life I’ve lived, at times it’s so scary to write something’s down without crying. I’m trying to push through. I will be subscribing to you. Do you have any other places you post informational or personal insights? Would love to read your writings. Thank you again

Stop battling self and enjoy the ride. Yes. We’ve pretty well finished with moving house, and I’ve worked a lot on my office. It is so exciting to me! Yet there is so much left to do! It’s still so unfinished in my eyes. Every day I find more ways to perfect it. Just yesterday I came to a new point in my assessment of a day: I no longer feel guilt about what I did not get done; I’d be guilty every day if I did not stop it! Instead, I will count up and enjoy bragging a bit about the things I DID finish. It’s usually a several-entry list. And a lot of it doesn’t show: What you put away is not obvious, but the things left out are glaring at you! 😀 So instead of writing a to-do list, from now on I will write a DONE list. It’s something I’ve tried before and loved it then and will love it now. I makes me excited to get started and happy when something is finally on that list. Then it becomes a lot like a journal, a record of amazing accomplishments. Thanks for the spurring you do!

Indeed you eat an elephant one bite at a time. Sometimes we focus too much on how long a path remains to the destination instead of looking back how far we already traveled. Better yet, chunking a large project then only focusing on the current slice is less intimidating. Have a plan, trust the process, and follow your heart.

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About Henneke

I never saw myself as a writer, but in my early forties, I learned how to write and discovered the joy of writing. Now, I’d like to empower you to find your voice, share your ideas and inspire your audience.Learn how I can help you